Google and Lady Gaga Drop Wild New Emoji Pack

It's a great week to be an emoji fan, as Lady Gaga and Google have some wonderful new tricks up their respective mobile sleeves.

This week saw the launch of Lady Gaga's very own Gagamoji for iMessage. The combination of stickers and GIFs was developed by Mama Monster and Snaps Media, which has crafted similar apps for Starbucks, Ariana Grande and RuPaul's Drag Race. There are 52 different animated stickers and GIFs in the $1.99 pack, including those of Gaga flying through the air at the Super Bowl and looking country-chic in a Joanne-era profile.

Snaps Media

Of course, should Gaga be so inclined, she can also add new designs and stickers to the app at any time: With her styles and artistic moods changing as often as the wind, that bodes well for fans hoping this Gagamoji train doesn't run out of steam any time soon. That said, anyone who can find use for some of the more, uh, eccentric images in the pack has our admiration.

Those of you less inclined to consider yourself a Little Monster may be more interested in what Google is doing with Allo this week. Instead of merely relying on star-powered emoji keyboards, Google is using its messenger app to let you turn yourself into your very own emoji brand. Using a neural network and the artistic designs and styles of in-house artist Lamar Abrams, Allo can transform a simple selfie into a complete collection of personalized stickers.

Google

Allo also allows users to customize their very own emohis from a series of tools and templates within the app. Having a handful of goofy and fun stickers on hand adds a level of personality to emojis that have sorely been lacking since they became such an important part of the cultural conversation. As great as emoji packs are for brands, they are still just branded emoji, whereas Allo's designs are completely you, and offer the chance to make every conversation with friends and followers that much more unique.

Google's Allo implementation is available now on Android devices, but isn't hitting iOS just yet. For that, you'll just have to stay tuned. It is free though, so get out there and start making yourself an even bigger part of the mobile conversation.